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Mannheim basketball talent Kaj Willms shines in the U16 camp!
Learn more about rising Rossendale basketball star Kaj Willms playing in the 2025 FIBA U16 AmeriCup in Mexico.
Mannheim basketball talent Kaj Willms shines in the U16 camp!
In the last few days there has been exciting news in the basketball world that particularly affects young talents. A relatively new name is attracting a lot of attention: Kaj Willms from Rossendale, Manitoba. At just 15 years old, this promising player has already achieved impressive achievements in his young career. Not only did he represent two provincial teams, but he also won the Zone 4 AA championship. In the last year and a half he has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and is showing remarkable development that puts him in the drawer of the next basketball stars. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, he was recently invited to the Canadian U16 National Team training camp.
Willms, at an impressive 6 feet 11 inches tall, towers over most of his teammates at Westpark School. The boy only started playing basketball after the 8th grade, encouraged by his uncle and his coach, Dave Britton. This support has proven to be the right thing: Willms was able to take part in Canada Basketball's National Team ID Camp in September. He was also invited to a U16 Men’s High Performance National Team Assessment Camp over the Easter weekend in Toronto, where he managed to compete against 15 other talented athletes. These successes led to him being allowed to represent Canada at the 2025 FIBA U16 Men's AmeriCup in Juárez, Mexico, even though he was not on the final 12-player squad.
An important competition
The FIBA U16 AmeriCup, June 2-8, 2025, is a major event where the best young basketball players from America will compete. In addition to Canada, far-reaching nations such as the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Argentina are also on the field. The tournament, taking place in Ciudad Juárez, offers the top teams the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey. A highlight of the tournament is the format in which teams are divided into groups before the top four advance to the playoffs. This year, eight nations are taking part in the tournament, including Venezuela and Brazil, as confirmed by information from Wikipedia.
Just in time for the competition, Team USA is also in excellent shape: with an impressive 43-0 record in the history of the tournament, they start as favorites. The U.S. youth team, comprised of players from the 2027 and 2028 classes, is led by head coach Scott Fitch and his assistant coaches. A total of 18 players are vying for a spot on the team, including names like Nasir Anderson, Beckham Black and many more, as Zag's Blog reports.
Looking into the future
Although Willms wasn't able to be part of the final squad this year, he sees the experience as a big step in his development. He is focused on continuing to improve his offensive skills and dreams of one day playing NCAA Division I basketball in the United States. His coach Dan Becker has high hopes for him and emphasizes Willms' aggressiveness as well as his rebounding and finishing strength at the basket. His throwing skills have not gone unnoticed either. The U17 provincial team that Willms continues to train with is also excited about its continued growth.
Overall, Kaj Willms is an example of how quickly promising talents can develop in basketball. At the end of the day, the hope remains that we will see him in the NHL or major international tournaments one day. The basketball community in Canada has many years to look forward to and we will certainly keep our eyes on this young player.